AP3.3.1. An active, well-planned, well-managed and
well-executed LFT&E strategy is essential to understanding system
vulnerability/lethality and shall be an essential element of the information
supporting decisions regarding the acquisition of materiel as well as the development
of doctrine for its proper tactical employment. The LFT&E strategy for a given system
shall be developed as soon as possible after Concept Exploration, and
be structured and scheduled so that any design changes, resulting from that
testing and analysis, as described in the strategy, may be
incorporated before proceeding beyond low-rate initial production. LFT&E considerations must be
included in all phases of the weapon system acquisition cycle, beginning
with concept exploration and continuing until Production and Support.
Furthermore, the LFT&E strategy must be managed, including planning and programming, in
such a manner that all elements of the test and evaluation process are
well-integrated and complementary. The availability of facilities, test
sites, instrumentation, personnel, threat targets, munitions, and/or
directed energy weapons shall be managed throughout all phases of the budget
cycle.

AP3.3.2. LFT&E shall be
initiated as early as possible and completed before entry into full-rate
production and deployment, to identify and assess possible design deficiencies
so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken. Beginning
with component-level testing and analysis during component advanced development,
live fire vulnerability/lethality test and evaluation continues
through system integration and system demonstration with
additional components/subsystem testing, and progresses to full-up system level LFT&E of production
representative items (unless a waiver from full-up, system-level testing has
been approved in accordance with this Regulation) before the system proceeds
beyond low-rate initial production (or equivalent point).

AP3.3.3. The
LFT&E strategy shall be structured to provide a timely and
reasonable examination and understanding of the vulnerability/lethality of U.S.
weapon systems and munitions/directed energy weapons to the full spectrum
of validated combat threats/targets. Subsequent product improvements to covered
systems meeting the statutory criteria are also required to undergo LFT&E if there is
a significant impact to vulnerability or lethality. If any doubt exists, the
system shall be assumed to be covered and appropriate action taken. This
includes waiver action if full-up, system-level testing would be unreasonably
expensive and impractical. All LFT&E of covered systems is conducted by the Services
with OSD oversight.

AP3.3.4. LFT&E of all systems shall
be predicated upon the DoD Intelligence Community's official assessment of
the principal threat systems and capabilities an adversary might reasonably
bring to bear in an attempt to defeat or degrade a specific U.S. system as
described in the validated threat document.

AP3.3.5.
Pretest predictions are required for every live fire test event. The predictions may
be based on computer models, engineering principles, or engineering
judgment, and should address a level of detail comparable to the test
damage assessment methodology. The DOT&E-approved LFT&E strategy shall address both the nature of the
pretest predictions and the schedule of pretest prediction deliverables. The
deliverables and supporting documentation should identify basic assumptions,
model inputs, and known limitations. If the live fire evaluation plan
incorporates the use of vulnerability or lethality models, the pretest
predictions should exercise those models, and support the verification,
validation, and accreditation of those models.

AP3.3.6. The generation of
data to resolve critical LFT&E issues in an efficient and cost effective manner
to represent realistic environments shall be of paramount concern in the
shot-line selection process for live fire testing. While an element of
randomness in shot-line selection is often desirable, total reliance on
complete randomness may neither be consistent with the test objectives nor
be an efficient use of test resources. Random shot-lines are generated from
a realistic distribution of hit points, to include such factors as the
weapon system operator, target signatures, and weapon seeker
characteristics. In most cases a mixture of random shot-lines (shot-lines
generated from likely hit points) and engineering shot-lines (i.e.,
shot-lines specifically selected by the evaluator to address specific
vulnerability/lethality issues) shall be appropriate. It is required that
some portion of the total shots be randomly drawn from a combat distribution
of likely hit points, when known.

AP3.3.7. Although the evaluation
of live fire test results will address kill given a hit (i.e.,
vulnerability or lethality), the outcome of LFT&E shall not necessarily be expressed in
terms of probabilities. Rather, live fire testing shall address
vulnerability or lethality primarily by examining basic damage and kill
mechanisms and their interactions with the target system. Further, the
evaluation of vulnerability test results shall address, where possible, the
susceptibility of the system.

AP3.3.8.
Although LFT&E programs may differ significantly in scope and timing, the level
of maturity at various stages of the acquisition process is basically
the following: during Concept Exploration, a decision shall be made whether
the system meets the legislative or regulatory criteria for a
covered system. Initial draft strategies shall identify proposed issues, existing data
in support of the issues, and live fire tests to be
conducted throughout the acquisition process. By Milestone B, the TEMP must contain
a mature strategy. In particular, the strategy must either commit
to full-up, system-level, live fire testing, or a waiver request and alternative LFT&E plan
must have been submitted and approved. The entire LFT&E program, to include
testing, evaluation, and reporting, must be completed before proceeding
beyond low-rate initial production.